Snooping: A Requested Oneshot
by shadowglove
Summary: Oneshot. Sequel to "RED". When spending the weekend in Gotham with Chloe, Lois and Clark, now an item have the perfect opportunity to snoop around Bruce Wayne's manor and discover something about him and themselves. Clois, Chruce


**Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville or Batman.**

_This is the 9th in the Requested Series, and sequel to the Clois Requested oneshot "Red", although this can easily be read without having read the aforementioned oneshot. This is for _**countryLexluv, ****who asked for:**** "Romantic Clois, implied Chruce, babysitting, "What the...How did you do that?"**

I enjoyed writing this oneshot more than the last, maybe because it was set in the Batman era and not the Smallville one per se? Plus, with "The Dark Knight" soon out in theatres where I live (am envious of all whom have been able to see it already) I kinda had some inspiration to do something about Batman, though not entirely that, so this oneshot as just what I needed to calm down the inspiration bunnies that run havoc in my overcrowded brain.

ENJOY!

* * *

"Why exactly are we doing this again?" Lois Lane asked as she looked at her live-in boyfriend, Clark Kent, somewhat surly. When they'd gone to visit Chloe in Gotham for the weekend it'd been because they'd' missed the blonde reporter and because Lois had decided that it was high time she met this Bruce Wayne character, with whom her favorite cousin kept on appearing in celebrity magazines…

…she _hadn't_ expected to be roped into taking care of two brats while Chloe and the undeniably _yummy_ Bruce Wayne went to play detectives. She'd tried to get herself invited into the reporting part of this, even offered to leave Clark taking care of the children, but a look had passed between Chloe and Bruce that proved that they were keeping something hidden and that Lois wouldn't be let into confidences…for now.

Of course, that'd stung, but it wasn't as if she told Chloe everything either, so Lois could understand. Anyway, Chloe had made her life in Gotham, and Lois had to respect the secret parts of her cousin's life, just like Chloe did her.

She just missed the _closeness_ they'd had in Smallville, and sometimes had to admit that she was jealous of the fact that Bruce seemed to have taken her place in Chloe's life--and if Clark's somewhat jealous/protective older brother attitude towards the billionaire had anything to say about it, he felt the same way.

Then again, they also had a good reason to be wary of the man. I mean, Bruce was nice but secretive, and something about him and Clark seemed to _clash_, AND Chloe didn't exactly have the best track record when it came to picking men--so Clark and Lois felt that they had a reason to be distrustful of Bruce Wayne.

Of course, once the children had been introduced to them Clark had gone googoo and Lois had been left sulking in her corner, feeling out of place and somewhat ignored by her boyfriend, who usually only had eyes for her. But the whole evening while Chloe and Bruce were out trying to find the children's parents and the reason _why_ some Gotham villain called the Joker had taken them--well, Lois had realized she'd been jealous of the two tykes and the way they commandeered Clark's attention.

Clark, on the other hand, was having the time of his life. He _liked_ children, he was _good_ with them, while she avoided the tiny menaces as much as possible. And really, if it hadn't been for the fact that she owed Chloe a lot, and she _really_ wanted to meet Bruce Wayne, she would have told Chloe _where_ she could have shoved her petition.

But Lois loved her cousin, she adored her, and she would never really tell her anything like that, even if she'd asked Lois and Clark to take care of a couple of brats while her and Bruce tried to track down their parents.

Honestly, what villain called himself the _Joker,_ anyway?

"You wanted free-range of Bruce's home so you could snoop around and be able to make sure he isn't an axe murderer?" Clark answered her question with a smirk, rocking the baby in his hands and placing him on the bed with his elder sister, who was _finally_ asleep.

"_Right_." Lois nodded, smile in place now that the brats were asleep and she was reminded _why_ she'd said yes to this.

It'd been a couple of months since her and Clark had gotten together, and a few since Chloe had been 'stringing Bruce Wayne along like a lost puppy', or, well, that was how Lois liked to put it. Honestly, the billionaire was _SO_ in love with her cousin that it was _pathetic_--entertaining, but pathetic.

It'd gotten to the point that Lois was sure that there had to be _something_ horribly wrong with the guy that Chloe wasn't telling her about. I mean, anyone could see that the guy lived for her cousin, and the blonde was falling deeper and deeper for him, and yet whenever Lois asked Chloe when she'd put Bruce out of his misery, her cousin went serious, sad, and said that there were other factors in the reason why they couldn't be a couple.

And Lois wanted to know _what_ those factors were!

"C'mon Smallville." She grabbed Clark's hand and dragged him out of the room. "You and I are going to go over this place and see if we can find out what about this guy is keeping my baby cousin from being his happy sex slave."

Clark winced. "I wish you wouldn't use those terms when you're talking about my best friend."

Lois grinned. Her boyfriend was _such_ a boy scout! Honestly, he was like a big brother to Chloe who hated the thought that she might have kissed someone, much less lost her virginity! It was endearing, and a little annoying to both Chloe and Lois.

They got to the living room and looked around in silence. "Okay then Sherlock, where do we look first?"

Lois glared at her smirking boyfriend, knowing that he found her 'axe murderer' suspicions very entertaining, but she was _sure_ that there was something Bruce Wayne was keeping secret. Whatever it was Chloe had found out the truth, and while it wasn't hideous or horrible enough to send her away screaming, it was important enough to have her keep her distance--at least emotionally--from him.

"Elementary my dear Watson," Lois looked around her with a sigh. This was one huge manor, and they'd have a lot of ground to cover, but at least Bruce's butler Alfred had had to leave for the month to visit an ailing family member, so they could snoop around and not worry about getting caught. "We search this floor and continue up."

Despite the fact that the amusement grew in his eyes, Clark just nodded, and they began their 'investigation', which took them through many different places, and soon they were in Bruce Wayne's study. Surprisingly, every document they went through was boring, and Lois slowly lost interest and her gaze rested on Clark, who was looking through some files on the desk in near boredom.

His heart obviously wasn't in this, but he was doing this with her because they were both truly worried about Chloe and Bruce. Also, he knew that Lois wouldn't be able to sleep well until she had this mystery solved and knew that her cousin wasn't in 'mortal danger'.

_That guy is really TOO nice._

And yet she was smiling tenderly at him. It was amazing to believe that they'd gotten this far along in the months that they'd finally become a couple. Mostly everyone had been shocked when they'd announced everything officially (other than Chloe, who just rolled her eyes and said: _It's about time!_), and Lois knew that a lot of people hadn't thought it would last—due to their conflicting characters, but that was only one of their attracts.

The reason that they were so different was just one of the reasons why they got along so well. Clark's calmness cooled down her brash temper, and she kept people from walking all over him because he was just _too good_ for his own good. He made her sit down and actually enjoy a good evening at home, while she took him out to club sometimes to liven up their routine from time to time.

He cooked because she burnt water, and she took care of managing their produce business transactions because he had no head for business and tended to either give people discounts or credit them their sales--which was really not something they could afford. When she'd taken over the business part of everything their sales had gone higher and they'd sold it at reasonable price for _everyone­_—and no one ever gave _her_ problems--she knew how to be intimidating when she wanted to be.

Sure, she still worked at the Daily Planet, working up from her new office close to Perry's, but she was discovering that she enjoyed life on the farm somewhat more. Sure, she enjoyed life as a journalist, but it was somewhat lonely in that office since Chloe had transferred to the Gotham Gazette.

Clark had taken to going with her while she was sniffing around a story, and she'd been surprised at how good he was at finding clues that seemed completely hidden. She'd once told him so and he'd jokingly announced that he should come and work with her at the Daily Planet. She'd laughed at that, thinking up the name: Lois and Clark—Investigative Journalists.

_He looks so cute when he's concentrating like that_.

He had completely forgotten she was there, and there was a somewhat disturbed expression on his face. The young man looked around the room, eyes narrowed in a way that she only saw him use whenever they were investigating a story.

Sometimes…sometimes Clark did things that seemed _impossible_, and would make her look at him oddly and utter something like: _"What the…how did you do that?"_

He'd just give her a sheepish expression and try distract her, but it only served to cement her belief in what he was. She'd always known that Clark Kent wasn't the ordinary man, but she hadn't really held it against him. He was born and bred in Smallville, and the place was utterly _whack_, so she really couldn't blame him for anything that might have happened to him due to such overexposure to meteor rocks.

But sometimes…_sometimes_…she wondered if it wasn't something more than that.

"There's a hidden room behind this bookcase." Clark said mostly to himself as he strode towards the bookcase, eyes narrowing even _more _as if he could _see_ through the wood of the bookcase and the books themselves.

Lois frowned as she watched him, hand raised slightly, as he went down the books until he came to one and pulled it out with complete confidence, watching as a secret door in the bookcase opened up.

Moments like these proved to Lois that she was not being paranoid; she was in love and living with a meteor freak. At first the revelation startled her, and for a moment she'd been panicked because all of the meteor freaks she'd known of or had heard of had either gone crazy and ended up in Belle Reeve, or gone crazy and had to be killed.

But Clark's hurt and confused look when she'd shied away from him for the days afterwards had made her feel guilty, and made her think. This was her _Clark_ that she was frightened of, CLARK, who loved her and couldn't hurt a fly, CLARK, whom everyone took advantage of because he was so helpful and nice.

He would _never_ hurt her.

And she'd accepted what he was. It'd helped when she'd overheard a conversation between him and Chloe in which she'd discovered that her cousin was a Meteor Freak as well, who could _heal_, and who'd brought_ her back to life_. Lois had felt _horrible_ for how she'd acted, for the way she'd pursued the Meteor Freaks before that, especially when she'd heard Chloe vaguely tell Clark that he should tell Lois his secret and Clark had said he couldn't because he was afraid of losing her.

So, Lois had stopped accepting to write stories that had to do with the metahumans and began writing pieces that had to do with Lex Luthor and other corrupt government officials. When Clark had once asked her _why_ she'd given up writing the pieces that'd gotten her out of the basement of the Daily Planet, she'd told him that metahumans (a far more _humanitarian_ name for Meteor Freaks) were humans too and deserved a chance to live normally and be loved.

Not _all_ metahumans were evil.

He'd given her such a large smile and hugged her, and while he hadn't told her anything, the fact that he was now looking at her without that sheepish smile and not even _trying_ to explain how he knew about the secret passage or the lever—well—that proved that he was trusting her enough to start _showing_ her how different he was.

And every time he did, she strove to show him that he wasn't making a mistake by opening up to her.

"Well, Smallville, what are you waiting for? Applause?" She smirked at him, walking passed the man and flipping on the light switch, but not before noticing his large grin. "Do you think that there are any skeletons or something down here?"

"I don't know." Clark announced as they started down the dark stone passage and after a while found themselves in a _cave_ below the mansion. "What the hell is Wayne involved in?"

Lois was wondering the same as she looked around the cave, which was filled with technical equipment, large computer screens, and other things that should _not_ be in a cave hidden under a huge, newly reconstructed manor.

Her stomach clenched at the thought that Chloe might be in love with some weird sort of stalker/murderer. She'd only been half joking with the whole axe murderer theory, and her stomach flipped at the realization that she mightn't have been so far off target.

But if Bruce Wayne was into something illegal, something _wrong_, Chloe wouldn't have stayed in contact with him--unless she was trying to _save_ him or something.

_Dear God. What has my cousin gotten herself into?!_

There were several weapons holders stacked throughout the place, along with bombs, rappels, mutated spelunking equipment…it was as if a small army occupied this cave.

_He's a terrorist!_

"My God."

Lois looked behind her at something Clark discovered, and she watched him pull off a protective, camouflaging material off of a large black car that looked like it could withstand a direct nuclear attack.

The reporter noticed something on the side, and turned her back on Clark, who was eyeing the car with open appreciation. She went to a large closet-looking container and after a couple of sharp tugs, managed to open the door, gasping and taking a couple of steps back when she realized _what_ it was that Bruce Wayne was hiding from the rest of the world.

"He's _Batman_!"

Clark was by her side in a second…_literally_.

"Did Chloe tell you this?" Lois, still somewhat hysterical at the revelation, rounded on her boyfriend. "Did you know this all along and just led me around like some--?"

"What?" Clark's eyes widened as he looked away from the incriminating suit to her. "No—_no!_ Chloe never told me that Bruce was the _bat_." He sounded a little hurt, too.

The bat? Didn't he mean _Batman_?

"Okay, Smallville, I believe you." She took in a deep breath, looking at the suit again, forcing herself to believe _this_. "My cousin is in love with _Batman_. No _wonder_ she's not in a relationship with him!"

Clark winced. "What do you mean? The guy risks his life to save other people, Lo, why should that be a reason to _not_ be with him?"

Lois reached forwards to touch the suit and then pulled her back as if it had the ability to burn her. "My God, my poor cousin."

"I don't understand."

Clark sounded so _hurt_ that Lois tore her gaze from the suit and rested it on him, wondering why he was looking at her as if she'd kicked him. "This is the same thing that happened to me and Ollie, don't you get it? Chloe once told me that I shouldn't have left things the way they were between us when I found out that he was the Green Arrow, but she's doing the same with things Bruce Wayne!"

"What are you talking about?" Clark asked, agitated like he always got whenever they mentioned Lois' and Ollie's past relationship.

"What if Chloe lets herself fall completely in love with Bruce Wayne knowing that he is Batman?" Lois asked, turning to him, trying to explain this from a female's perspective. "She'd be happy, deliriously, especially since he worships the ground she walks on, but she' be constantly worried that while he was patrolling he'd get shot or stabbed, or captured or _killed_. And if he ever got killed it'd _kill_ her."

Lois felt sadness enter her, sadness that her cousin had had to go through this alone. _She should have told me! I could have counseled her or something_! "She'd prefer to remain friends, maybe even date other guys, just so that when it does happen, when he _does_ get hurt, captured or killed, it won't hurt as much."

"Is that why you broke things off with Oliver?" Something in Clark's voice was steel, and his eyes were darker, intense as he glared down at her. "Because you loved him too much?"

Lois suddenly wondered why they were talking about Oliver--she'd been talking about Chloe! "I'm just saying--."

"What if he was _virtually_ indestructible? Would you be okay with it then? Okay with the fact that he was using his abilities to help other people?"

Lois blinked.

"Ollie is indestructible?"

Clark's hands shot out nearly freakishly fast and he grabbed onto her shoulders, shaking her in irritation. "I'm not talking about Oliver!"

Okay, this was really bothering Clark. He was never one to lose his temper.

"Clark…" Lois looked up into his eyes and paused as she realized he was jealous again. "I love _you_, not Oliver. You should know that." She paused, suddenly wondering if he'd been talking about Oliver all along--or had he been talking about _himself_? "But…" she paused. "But if I was with someone _special_, I would never feel _okay_ with his risking his life because I loved him and wouldn't want to risk losing him. Still, if he _was_ nearly indestructible, it _would_ help me _accept_ the risk better."

Clark looked down into her eyes, as if trying to weigh in her words. He opened his mouth to say something before he frowned and cocked his head to the side, as if hearing something. "Chloe and Bruce are back."

She didn't ask him how he knew since the cave was soundproof thanks to the waterfall. "Let's get out of here then."

He let go of her arms and turned his back on her, heading towards the stairs, and Lois hurried after him, grabbing his hand.

"Clark."

He paused and looked down at her. "Yeah?"

"I don't want to lose you."

His eyes widened slightly and he quickly looked away, before his gaze scanned her face once more and he smiled, bringing her hand up to his lips and kissing it softly. "And I don't want to lose you, Lo."

She grinned, knowing that everything was good between them again.

"Let's get out of here before they realize we've been snooping?" Clark asked.

Lois looked down up the long path of steps and then at Clark, hating herself for feeling so _nervous_. "You think you could pick me up and use that speed of yours?"

Clark tripped on the first step and turned to look at her, eyes wide, fear and shock visible in those blue orbs.

"Smallville, please, I live with you, remember?" Lois scoffed, trying not to show that she was nervous. "I've seen you once or twice when you thought I wasn't watching."

"Lois--I--I didn't tell you because--Lois, I--."

"You're a meteor freak, I get it." She shrugged. "I love you just as you are, and anyway, you're more useful to me this way."

Despite everything he chuckled at that, as she'd hoped he would.

"Enough of the mushy moments now." She ordered, smiling shakily at him. "I need you to get us out of here before they realize what we know."

"Yes ma'am." He picked her up, and in the blink of an eye they were in the living room, both on the sofa, her sitting on his lap.

Lois blinked. She hadn't realized he was _that_ fast! "I could get used to this."

Clark grinned and surprised her by kissing her unlike he'd ever kissed her, like he was pouring his heart and soul into her…and she liked the feeling.

There was a clearing of a throat, and they pulled away to find Chloe and Bruce Wayne standing in the doorway, both looking amused.

"No need to ask how _they_ spent their time." Chloe sniggered, looking behind her at Bruce, who smiled softly at her.

"Har har you two." Lois noticed the way the man who was Batman looked at her cousin and she smiled. Apparently she was going to have to give the man a break, huh?

"So, who did everything go?" Clark tightened his hold around her waist and she grinned, leaning back against him, resting her head against the curve of his neck.

"We have some leads," Chloe announced as they entered the living room and collapsed in the loveseat opposite Lois and Clark. "But Batman is going to look deeper into it."

She shared a look with Bruce.

Lois shared a look with Clark.

"Well, we are available to continue babysitting if you two need to go and talk to this _Batboy_." Lois deliberately said his name wrong, grinning when she noticed Bruce wince at that.

Ooooh, it was going to be so much _fun _bothering Bruce Wayne!

"Maybe we should take them up on that offer while Lois is still temporarily insane." Chloe told Bruce.

Clark snickered.

Lois elbowed him, wincing when she nearly _broke_ her elbow.

"Excuse us," Bruce Wayne stood, helping Chloe up as well like some gentleman from a regency novel. "We're going to go over some material in the study."

Lois grinned. "Sure you will."

Chloe and Bruce shared a look before leaving the room.

"He's just too fun to mess with." As soon as they were gone, Lois smiled. "I love you, Smallville."

He sighed, tightening his hold on her as if trying to mold her into his chest, resting his chin on the crown of her head. "Love you too, Lo."

Lois closed her eyes, knowing that they were far from happily ever after, and that they still had a lot to talk about and work out, but they'd taken the first step. And for tonight, that was enough.

* * *

HEY! REVIEW?


End file.
